CP Smart Growth is a community of residents in the greater Cleveland Park area (including McLean Gardens, Woodley Park, and Van Ness/Forest Hills) who share an interest in promoting, sharing and discussing urbanist and smart growth issues in Washington D.C. with an emphasis on this area.
Join our email list here and join our CP Smart Growth Facebook Group.
Contact us at cpsmartgrowth@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @cpitc.
Cleveland Park Smart Growth’s mission is to advance urbanist policies in the area to ensure an economically vibrant, environmentally sustainable, and socially inclusive neighborhood. We do this through educating, organizing and advocacy.
CP Smart Growth Steering Committee (Read more about our Steering Committee Members below)
J.C. Ayala
Abigail Demopulos
Beau Finley
Ellen Herr
Ariel Kennedy
Martin Kleinbard
Chris Richter
Bob Ward
Laura Watson
Abigail Demopulos has lived in Cleveland Park since 2004. Her interest is in expanding the frequency of public transportation and helping multi-unit buildings tap into energy efficiency.
Beau Finley has either lived or worked (or both!) in Cleveland Park since 1998. He recently served as a commissioner representing 3C04 for six years, including two years as Chair of ANC 3C. Beau’s focus is on expanding affordable housing and ensuring safe transportation. Beau currently lives in the Quebec House Apartments with his wife.
Ellen Herr has been a resident of Woodley Park for over ten years and is a native of the Washington area, having been born in the city, and growing up in Alexandria and McLean, Virginia. She’s been interested in urbanism since reading Jane Jacobs at Bryn Mawr in the 90’s. As a member of the Cleveland Park Smart Growth Steering Committee, she’s tried to help educate her neighbors about the importance of gentle density and good urbanism practices while advocating for more development and bike lanes along Connecticut Avenue. Ellen enjoys hiking with her husband and is a Trail Overseer and volunteer with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, which maintains the trails in Rock Creek Park, as well as the Virginia and Maryland portions of the Appalachian Trail and other local trails. She and her husband also enjoy travel and the perspective that it brings. Professionally, Ellen is an attorney and senior Ethics official with the Federal Communications Commission.
Ariel Kennedy lives in Cleveland Park with her husband and dog. Ariel grew up in the neighborhood and attended John Eaton Elementary School and Edmund Burke School. She decided to move back to the neighborhood as an adult due to Cleveland Park’s walkability, easy access to public transportation, and proximity to Rock Creek Park. Ariel is passionate about public transportation and pedestrian safety and advocating for projects that will enable the neighborhood to be livelier and more equitable. Ariel works in health policy and enjoys volunteering at the Cleveland Park Farmers Market during market season.
Martin Kleinbard lives in Cleveland Park along with his wife Andrea, two daughters, and one mangy mutt. He advocates for consensus-driven sensible zoning reform, with a focus on community engagement for direct advocacy to policy decision makers.
Bob Ward has been active in the neighborhood in a variety of ways, primarily focused on enhancing the Connecticut Ave commercial area. Since 2018, he has chaired Cleveland Park Smart Growth, an organization that grew from a community-led effort to allow for greater density near our shops and Metro. His goal is to make Cleveland Park and the surrounding neighborhoods more walkable and multi-modal, more vibrant and more equitable. Bob and his family live on Macomb Street just off Connecticut Ave. He loves experiencing the area on foot. Professionally, Bob owns a market research firm that serves corporate, trade association, and non-profit clients.
Laura Watson is an architect and designer who has lived in Cleveland Park since 2015. Laura has been on the Cleveland Park Smart Growth Steering Committee since its inception. She is focused on sustainability and affordable housing. Laura lives in the Quebec House Apartments with her husband.
Cleveland Park Smart Growth 